Blondie

No Exit

Beyond

The new-wave faves' reunion single “Maria” is busting out so brilliantly that it's got Blondie back in the spotlight with their first completely new album in 17 years. What's surprising is that the song is no fluke. There are several other stellar cuts here, from the rapid-fire ska rhythms of “Screaming Skin,” and the drum-throttling rocker “Nothing Is Real but the Girl,” to the purely propulsive dance fury of “Forgive and Forget.” At 53, Deborah Harry sounds better than ever. One of the most captivating figures of the 1970s new-wave revolution, she is at once cool and alluring, sharp and sophisticated on No Exit. She also proves that she's still quite capable of being playfully provocative, most notably during the lounge-loving, jazz-tinged “Boom Boom in the Zoom Zoom Room.”